An unusually warm Bank Holiday weekend

Our small garden was a hive of activity yesterday, 2 Holly Blue butterflies the diurnal highlight along with various White sp. passing through. That evening, 2 Pipistrelle Bats were hunting at rooftop level.
The bulk of our day was spent at Cley, enjoying an excellent crab salad at Cookies after a short walk around the reserve. Avocets were noisily about their business, and 2 Little-ringed Plover were also on the scrape keeping their distance. A Lesser Whitethroat was heard along Old Woman's Lane, and the expected Marsh Harriers were soaring over the reedbed. Unexpectedly, a group of c30 Brent Geese dropped in to graze. Surely the latest into the breeding season I have seen this species in Norfolk.

Today, the temperature cranked up another couple of degrees to 19, I enjoyed a stroll round Wheatfen. For once, I didn't have the reserve to myself. A Cuckoo was heard and was subsequently new for the year. Whitethroat were everywhere, as were Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers. Speckled Wood and Orange Tip were on the wing, the first time I have caught up with either of these species this year. I stumbled upon the tail end of at least 4 snakes, probably Grass, but they were too quick for me, disappearing into the reedbed on each occasion. I spent some time scanning the skies over Strumpshaw, for 2 Common Crane had been reported earlier in the day. No luck on that front, but I did pick out a kettle of 5 Buzzards and the resident Marsh Harriers.
Rockland Broad, and another Cuckoo was heard. A Garden Warbler, new for the year, shared a piece of scrub with the more obvious Whitethroats. Best birds were undoubtedly 2 Common Tern, fishing the broad itself and engaging in a bit of chase. Perhaps they will make use of one of the platforms and breed this year.

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Grey Phalarope- a new patch bird

The 7th of April was another bitterly cold Spring day, hats and gloves in prime position on pegs and in bags ready to be deployed. A few brave Garganey have been reported north of the river, but it was a bird from the north itself that had me rushing for the thermals and the telescope late in the day. I was thankful for the local Whatsapp group who were quick to report that a Grey Phalarope had been seen on Rockland Broad. This tiny Wader would have come in on the northerlies over the last few days, although to grace one of the broads is a real surprise, since most stick pretty close to the coast before moving on. Indeed, my experience of the birds has usually been on a sea watch in the Autumn, waves crashing and foam flying, my eyes straining to pick them out as they fly low just above the surf. They are fantastic birds, and now one was here on the patch. I had a brief panic when I realised my scope was in my car at the garage (thankfully I do have a much older spare) but once th...

A weekend to live long in the memory

Saturday 12th, I picked up Connor around 6.30am and we headed to Waxham with migrant hunting in mind. It was clear that the NW blow and rain had dumped many common migrants. Every bush had a Robin, some more than one. There were also almost equal numbers of Song Thrush and Blackbird. As the sun rose, slowly more birds became active. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrest and ticked and tacked from cover. Superb stuff! Overhead, Brambling and Redpoll were moving, and some did rest long enough for decent views. Heading out into the dunes towards the pipe dump, we encountered a female Redstart and a Woodcock on route. Still, birds were arriving including more Thrushes and even a few Skylark. Without much success around the pipe dump itself (a Robin with a sore throat gave us a headache for a while) we headed back to the car and onto Horsey. Although there were less birds around by mid morning, little clumps of cover were alive with activity. In the same patch of scrub and pines that last ...

Claxton-on-sea!

Although it was not quite the Christmas we wanted here in the valley, the rain has bought its own gift. A grim vision of the future, perhaps. But right now, the patch is peaking and is alive with birds, and for that I am thankful. On Christmas eve, it was a job to navigate away from the village due to standing water that had left abandoned cars and undelivered presents in its wake. The rain had been persistent and unforgiving, the ground, saturated. Over on the marsh, where there had once been a muddy puddle amongst the pasture, a city had sprung from the leak, with a plethora of new occupants noisily laying claim to a patch of sodden marsh. Wigeon and Black-headed Gulls in their thousands now wheeled and whistled over and amongst the newly formed pools, accompanied by smaller numbers of Teal and Shoveler. A flock of two hundred-strong Lapwing enjoyed feeding on the less damp spots where green grass was still exposed, and thrown in for good measure have been a couple of Ruff, the ...

Notes from the valley

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